Indonesia, West Papua – On Saturday morning, 31 May 2025, at approximately 11:00 am, Papuan political activist, Mr Er Giban, 18, was subjected to intimidation and ill-treatment by members of the Yahukimo District Police.

A police patrol unit stopped near next to Mr Giban while he was sitting outside the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) office in the town of Dekai, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province. Police officers exited the vehicle and forcibly confiscated his mobile phone without presenting a warrant. Accused of possessing a "suspicious device", Mr Giban was then ordered to follow them to the police station. During the encounter, officers tore his trousers. As Mr Giban resisted and was not immediately detained, the officers instructed him to report to the police station on his own.

Following the incident, Mr Giban and other KNPB activists of the went to the Yahukimo Police Station around 11:30 am, where he was interrogated by police officers. Officers questioned him over images found on his phone, one depicting a kitchen knife and others containing symbols of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). Authorities accused him of affiliation with the TPNPB and alleged involvement in a murder case. Mr Giban clarified that the images were downloaded from Facebook and denied any connection to the TPNPB, reaffirming his status solely as a KNPB member. He further explained his lack of a state-issued ID was due to the local civil registration office being closed. The interrogation ended without further detention.

This incident exemplifies a clear case of unlawful interference with personal liberty, violation of the right to privacy, and freedom of expression and association, as enshrined in international human rights instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a party. The arbitrary confiscation of Mr Giban's personal property without due process and the use of physical intimidation constitute breaches of the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality required in any law enforcement action. The police's use of violence and accusations without evidence echoes a broader pattern of criminalisation of peaceful political dissent in West Papua.

Source: https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/police-officers-intimidate-activist-in-dekai-yahukimo